Improvement in bee-hives



uitrit Ctazea JOHN `M. YOUART, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

Letters Patent No. 99,994, datedl February 15, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEE'HIVES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same I, J OHN M. YOUART, of Indianapolis, in the county lof Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented certain Improvements ln Bee-Hives, of which the. following is a specitication.

Nature and Objects of the Invention. I

The first part of my invention relates tothe constructiouand arrangement ot' the external case and hase ot the hive, combined with th'e arrangement and mode of hanging the movable comb ti'anies,"having for its object to aiibrd more convenient access to the comb frames, for suoli purposes as may be required, with less liability to kill or disturb the bees. Y

The second part ot' myinvention relates to the construction and arrangementot' the dark chamber and moth and robber-bee trap in thc base ot' the hive, hav` ing i'or its object to more completelyv control the operations of the robber bees, and to prevent the moth from depositing their eggs where the gruhs will have Figures 6 and 7 are elevation and section views of,

the queen cages, for the hatching, care of, and convenient removal of the queen-bees.

General Description.

A is the outer case of the hive, and B, the base containing the moth and robber bee, dark chamber, and trap, which case and base should be made in a suhlsJtantial manner to exclude insects injurious to the ees.

C are movable combframes hung to pintles in the upright hoard I), as-shown,l and are made in anyv approved manner of constructing such frames.

Theentrance for the bees to the hive is at E,iig.5, midway between the entrances F to the moth and robber bee chamber and trap. From this entrance the bees can pass directly under the movable comb trame, and from thencenp among them, or they may go up on the side of the frame board D, opposite that on which the frames C are hung, space heilig lett between this board and the exterior' case for this purpose, and also for the passage of the bees up tothe surplus-honey trames G, without the necessity of their going among the bees in the lower part of the hive.

Vertical openings are also made in the frame board D,`through which the bees may pass in among the comb frames C.

The upper part of the hive is furnished with small movable comb trames G, hung directly over` and parallel with -the comb frames O below. These frames may be lullig by pintles in the upper corners ofthe trames in notches cut in the outer case, or they may be hung in a frame, O, that tits neatlyinsiile theonter case, so that all the surplus-honey frames maybe litt-ed out of the case at once, or if hn ng as described in either case, they may be removed separately.

The frames G are hung suliciently above those bey low, to aitnjd the requisite space for the bees to move freely between them.

The cap P of the exterior case is made removable, for convenient access to the surplus-honey frames, and a board, N, the size ofthe interior dimensions ot' the exterior case forms a movable top to the frame O,con taining the surpl 11s-honey frames G.

` `lille-base of the hive contains a dark chamber, H, in the front projecting part, and space for a drawer, J, immediately under the comb frames, that serves as a receptacle for the droppings of the bees, and alsoas a f trap to retain robber bees and moths that find access to it.

it, the opening being covered with woven wire, to prevent the escape'of thc bees andmoths that getinte it. 'Ihe top ofthe drawer is covered with woven wirea, bot-li to allow the droppings of the bees to descend into it and to prevent the moth from getting np to another wovenwire, e, covering an opening in the top' board of the base, thus electually preventing them from depositing their cggswhcre they will be hatched bywarinth ii'orn the bees, and preventing any grubs that do hatch from gaining access to the bees. In case the hive is attacked by robber bees and tb bees of the hive are unable* to protect themselves, the entrance to the hive may be closed temporarily by a sliding shutter arranged for this purpose, and the slides that cover the entrances opened to the passages t', tigs.

3 and 5, that lead into the dark chamber' H, when the robbers will enter the chamber in their efforts to effect an entrance to the hive. i

The moths, in accordance withv their well-known habit to deposit their eggs in'places inaccessible to ,their enemies and near some warmth that will hatch them, will, in search for such place, crawl under the blocks I, which are raised a little ott the base for this purpose, and go thence down the passages s into the dark chamber H. Holes .through the partition separating chamber H and the space occupied by drawer J admit suicient light to attract the attention of the robber bees and moths and through which in their eil forts to either escape or gaiuaccess to the hive they The drawerJ has an opening in its outer end tolight will pass into the drawer J through tubes f, the latter projecting into the drawer to prevent their return and from which they cannot otherwise escape.

The drawer J may be readily drawn from the rear of the hive at any time for the removal 0i' the droppings, to destroy the moths, or to allow the robber bees to escape, a movable board, r, covering the outer top part of the drawer for this purpose.

For the hatching, proper care of', and convenient handlingof queen-bees.aiianle subdivided into'a number of small cages, as shown in gs. (i and 7, each cage being provided with a door, L, is made to take the place of any one ot' the other movable ii'ames.

My improvement in the construction of thesecages consists in making the side wall and door of narrow strips of cane, and turning the smooth side of these inward, so that the queen bees shall not' injure themselves by their eiibrts to escape asin cages covered with wire Aas usually huilt.

V are tin flanges attached to the base and door of the hive, as shown, to prevent the bees from sticking the ease and door so that theycannot be moved or opened when desired. These flanges may also be applied to any other part ot` the hive requiring it for the same purpose.

. 'lhe movable comb'frames C are furnished with stops z to hold tbein the proper distance apart on the outside, with the angular wires t in the bottom rail, so that in pushing the case A back over the frames they will be closed together without dangerot' crushing the bees.

. Claims.

I claim as my invention- Y I 1. The combination ot' the vertically-slotted frame board D and swinging frames C, said frames being provided with loops, which 'are passed over pins on the board D, and are provided with met-al guards fr, as shown, all inclosed within the case A, substantially as set forth.

2. The arrangement ofthe board D and frames C, as above described, upon one end of the elongated hollow-base B with screen e and opening E, when said opening leads from the case A, into incline spaces at the base ofthe board D, from which spaces a narrow passage is formed for the bees up within the hive, between thc board D and the front of the case A, substantially as set forth.

3. The elongated hollow base B with a central partition, one end forming a dark chamber, H, with openingsl leading into it from the side ami covered openings I and tubes i on the top, the other end provided with a screen-covered drawer, J, with the movable board r,

' all constructed as and for the purposes set i'orth.

4. The combination and arrangement ofthe base B with drawer J and chamber H, screen c, case A, with hoard I), 'frames C, honey frames G, cover N, and cap '1), all constructed and used substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

Witnesses: JOHN `M. YOUART.

0. 1P. MAYHEW, v W. H. Looms. 

